Merthyr man in the clear after hearing

MERTHYR Town board member Anthony Hughes has been cleared of any wrongdoing by a Football Association of Wales tribunal over his dismissal from the technical area in a bizarre incident earlier this year.

MERTHYR Town board member Anthony Hughes has been cleared of any wrongdoing by a Football Association of Wales tribunal over his dismissal from the technical area in a bizarre incident earlier this year.

During the Martyrs’ clash with Westbury United at Taffs Well in March, referee Alastair Salter ordered Hughes from the ground after he made comments following a strange incident which was holding up play in the 72nd minute.

The Devon referee then refused to restart the game until the former club secretary was removed.

At the time Hughes explained: “I was on the bench officially, named on the team sheet, and helped out with the kit, water bottles, balls etc. Nothing more.

“There had been an incident involving Leigh Smith and one of the Westbury players.

“They had both been booked and one of our players came over to Shep (manager Garry Shephard) and said he had never before heard a referee say to two players, ‘You are both getting red unless you apologise’.

“At that point Shep shouted at the ref, saying he didn’t have a clue, or something like that.

“He looked towards our bench and at that moment I held my arms out and said, ‘We don’t understand what you’re doing’. That was it. At that point he came towards us and I thought he was heading for Shep.

“But, he walked past Shep to me and said, ‘You have no right to be here, get under the rail’. I said, ‘Fine, but I do have a right because I am named on the team sheet’.

“He responded, ‘If that’s the case I want you out of the ground and I am not restarting the game until you are’.”

Hughes was then escorted from the playing area to the clubhouse by Merthyr Town chairman Geoff Chinnock.

This week a three-man appeal board heard submissions from Hughes, referee Salter and Merthyr Town secretary Jamie Mack before deciding that the case against Hughes had not been proven.

Speaking after the decision, former Merthyr secretary Hughes said: “I said at the time that I was at a loss as to why the action was taken by the referee.

“It is not very often that appeals of this sort are won wholeheartedly and therefore I do feel vindicated.”

Merthyr Town have announced their new shirt sponsor this week. Turn to page 71